Initiative
Initiative is a roll made at the beginning of Combat by each player character and enemy involved in the fighting to determine who acts first. A combatant's Initiative roll uses their Initiative Bonus, which is typically equal to their Dexterity modifier. The GM may, if they wish, make a single Initiative roll for all enemies or for each group of enemies, rather than for each individual. Whoever rolls the highest Initiative result is the first to take their turn in the ensuing Combat. In the event of a tie, the combatant with the highest Initiative Bonus wins. A combatant who rolls a result of "20" on their Initiative not only acts first in the Combat, but may take an extra Action on their first turn (see https://5thsrd.org/combat/actions_in_combat/). Conversely, a combatant who rolls a result of "1" cannot act at all in the first round of Combat.
After the combatant who won Initiative takes their first turn, the player controlling that combatant (the GM in the case of NPCs and Monsters) chooses who may take their turn next. A combatant who has already had a turn in the current round cannot be chosen. Initiative proceeds in this way, with each combatant choosing who may act next after taking their own turn, until all participants in the Combat have taken a turn. The last one to do so then chooses who may take their turn first in the next round, although they cannot choose themselves.
An important exception to this rule is that, when a combatant who has not yet taken a turn in the current round loses any amount of Hit Points, they may "seize" Initiative at the end of the current turn. They then take their own turn next rather than the current combatant choosing who may do so. At the end of their turn, they may choose who acts next in the Combat and Initiative proceeds as normal, unless another combatant lost Hit Points during their turn and chooses to seize Initiative themselves. If multiple combatants lose Hit Points during the same turn and choose to seize Initiative, then each takes their turn one after another, beginning with the combatant who has the highest Initiative Bonus and proceeding in descending order to the combatant with the lowest Initiative Bonus.
After the combatant who won Initiative takes their first turn, the player controlling that combatant (the GM in the case of NPCs and Monsters) chooses who may take their turn next. A combatant who has already had a turn in the current round cannot be chosen. Initiative proceeds in this way, with each combatant choosing who may act next after taking their own turn, until all participants in the Combat have taken a turn. The last one to do so then chooses who may take their turn first in the next round, although they cannot choose themselves.
An important exception to this rule is that, when a combatant who has not yet taken a turn in the current round loses any amount of Hit Points, they may "seize" Initiative at the end of the current turn. They then take their own turn next rather than the current combatant choosing who may do so. At the end of their turn, they may choose who acts next in the Combat and Initiative proceeds as normal, unless another combatant lost Hit Points during their turn and chooses to seize Initiative themselves. If multiple combatants lose Hit Points during the same turn and choose to seize Initiative, then each takes their turn one after another, beginning with the combatant who has the highest Initiative Bonus and proceeding in descending order to the combatant with the lowest Initiative Bonus.
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